Financial Management
MGMT 0207
Instructor: Kathie
Sullivan, Ph.D
Course Overview:
The purpose of this course is to
introduce the basic concepts of financial management. It will encompass
practical, as well as theoretical, aspects of corporate finance, with an
emphasis on the decision making functions of the manager. The objective of the
course is to give students specific skills to analyze and interpret financial
data and to develop an understanding of the nature of investment and financing
decisions in business organizations. Topics to be covered include: financial
ratio analysis, the time value of money and discounted cash flow analysis,
stock and bond valuation, and capital budgeting.
Prerequisites:
To perform well in this course,
students should have completed both Accounting I and II (MGMT 0104 and
0105). You are also expected to have completed basic courses in Economics,
Statistics, and Business Math. If you have any questions about your ability to
succeed in this class, please contact me a ksullivan@wsc.ma.edu.
Textbook:
Fundamentals of Financial Management, 11th
ed., Brigham and Houston, 2007. ISBN:
0324319800, ISBN13: 9780324319804.
The following website may be used for
ordering individual chapters of the text for downloading: http://www.ichapters.com/tl1/en/US/storefront/ichapters?cmd=catProductDetail&ISBN=9780324319804#.
The text is also available as an
e-textbook from the following site: http://www.coursesmart.com/9780324319804.
Course Format:
The content
of the course will be presented online in Learning Modules, which correspond to
textbook chapters. Each Learning Module will contain a wide variety of
materials that will help you master the textbook chapter content. They include:
lecture outlines and notes, audio lectures, power point presentations,
additional problems and solutions, homework assignments, relevant and
interesting web links, and chapter quizzes. For each Learning Module, you will
read assigned materials and complete assignments and assessments by posted due
dates.
In order to
successfully complete the course, you are expected to read all assigned
readings and take the chapter assessments for each Learning Module. The
assessments are provided to help you master the material and check your
comprehension. They are not timed and you can take them multiple times until
you achieve the grade you are satisfied with. The average of all of your
assessment grades will be included in your final grade.
Learning
Modules will be available approximately every one and a half weeks over the
course of the semester. You are expected to check PLATO on a regular basis
(every two or three days) for new or changed course readings and assignments.
There will also be three online exams,
each of which will cover approximately three Learning Modules. These exams are
timed and can only be taken once, but you will have a flexible exam window over
which each student can select an exam time that best suits their schedule.
Financial Essays:
A series of short essays
are assigned to help you to lean how various financial theories and models are applied in
the real world. You will be required to
locate six different stories or articles in the current business or financial
news that corresponds to six different topics in finance. It may be any
financial topic we cover, or even one we don’t cover. Simply select a finance
topic you would like to learn more about and find a real world example about it
in the news or on the internet. Use the
information in this article to present a short 2-3 page essay explaining and discussing the financial
principle or issue under consideration.
Over the semester, you will prepare a
total of six short essays, each on a different financial topic. All essays are
due by the last day of classes, but may be handed in individually, over the
course of the semester, if you choose.
Final Grade:
Your final grade will be determined by
your performance on the three exams, the assessment average, and the financial
essays.
Financial Calculators:
Most
students have found that the use of financial calculators greatly assists them
in completing this course. As a result, you are encouraged to purchase a
financial/business calculator for this class. The calculator you select should
be able to perform present value, future value, net present value, internal
rate of return, and cash flow calculations. Suggested models are a TI BA II
Plus, HP 10BII, HP 17BII+, TI-83 or TI-84. Calculator help “how to” information
will be provided, but It is, your responsibility to become familiar with how
your calculator works.
Get Up to Speed with PLATO:
Before the semester begins, make sure
you are ready for the online experience. Visit the following websites to learn
everything from “how to login”, to “checking your browser configuration.”
http://www.wsc.ma.edu/plato/Seven_Steps_To_Logging_Into_Vista.html
http://www.webct.com/tuneup/viewpage?name=tuneup_start
http://www.webct.com/tuneup/viewpage?name=tuneup_browser_troubleshoot
Academic Honesty:
Academic
integrity is submitting one’s own work and properly acknowledging the
contributions of others. Any violation of this principle constitutes academic
dishonesty and is liable to result in a failing grade and disciplinary action.
Forms of academic dishonesty include:
·
Plagiarism
– submitting all or part of another’s work as one’s own in an academic exercise
such as an examination, a computer program, or written assignment.
·
Cheating
– using or attempting to use unauthorized materials on an examination or assignment,
such as using unauthorized texts or notes or improperly obtaining (or
attempting to obtain) copies of an examination or answers to an examination.
·
Facilitating Academic Dishonesty – helping another commit an act of dishonesty, such as
substituting for an examination or completing an assignment for someone else.
I fully expect and trust
that everyone taking this course will comply with the College’s policy on
academic honesty. Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and may be
punished by failure on the exam, quiz, paper, or project; failure in course;
and/or expulsion from the College.
Students who submit any assignment, assessment, or exam which has been
completed by someone else will receive a failing grade for that work. The situation will also be referred to the
appropriate dean for further action.
Additional Questions:
Please drop me an email if you have any
questions or concerns – ksullivan@wsc.ma.edu.